Jeremy Armer to seek re-election as UCDSB trustee, chair retiring

SOUTH DUNDAS – First-term school board trustee Jeremy Armer is running for a second term this fall. Armer is trustee for Ward 7, which represents North and South Dundas on the Upper Canada District School Board.

Armer is the first person to declare his intent to run for re-election. He was acclaimed as the English-Public trustee for the area in 2014.

The last contested election for trustee in South Dundas took place during the 2003 election, when Greg Petersma was elected.

Armer was active during the UCDSB’s pupil accommodation review process in 2016-17. He said he was proud of the work that was done, with no school closures affecting Dundas County during that process.

If re-elected as trustee he plans on working to strengthen the ties between the schools and municipalities.

During his term, the T.R. Leger school relocated from Williamsburg to North Dundas District High School. The partnership between Seaway District High School, Ross Video and the Municipality of South Dundas which saw technology upgrades for the school was launched, as the school works towards establishing a Specialized High Skills Major program in Information-Technology. Both high schools had renovations and improvements, as part of a multi-school renovation program by the board.

If re-elected as trustee, Armer has his sights set for a leadership role within the English-Public school board.

“I will seek the chair position,” Armer said. “I think that things have been okay, but we need to go in a new direction and with new leadership.”

He explained that school boards need to be better advocates to the province for public education.

“We need to be heard more at Queen’s Park,” he said. “There needs to be a strong voice for public education.”

When the new term for the school board takes office in December, trustees will have to choose a new chair for the trustee board.

Director of Education Stephen Silwa issued a release April 23rd saying that current chair of the board of trustees, Jeff McMillan, will not be seeking re-election in October.
“He will not be seeking re-election for another term as a public school board trustee,” Silwa said. “Chair McMillan’s decision to transition from public office comes after more than 40 years of service to children and schools in the UCDSB.”

McMillan began his career as a classroom teacher and educational consultant with the former Leeds and Grenville County Board of Education in 1977. He also has served as the Canadian college supervisor with the School of Education at the State University of New York in Potsdam, supervising and evaluating teacher-candidates with that program.

McMillan has two published books on classroom practice. McMillan is in his second four-year term as trustee for Ward 5 which covers Brockville and Augusta Township. Prior to being elected chair of the board in 2014, he was elected first vice-chair in 2011.